Broken
by blacksouledbutterfly
Summary: sequel to Foolish They thought the war was over they thought wrong. On a search for their daughter they will encounter dangers untold and hardships beyond compare, all to come out in facing their worst enemy once more.
1. 1 Hermione

Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter.

Warning: This is a sequel to another story. If you want to read this you may want to read the other one first to know what is going on. Thank you.

* * *

I tried to move but found I couldn't, something was pinning me down. Opening my eyes was a chore. I felt weak, so very weak. Something was lying on top of my leg and I could barely feel it. I would say it had gone numb had it not been for the shooting pain.

"Hermione!"

Someone was calling my name, but I couldn't tell who. I took a breath, gritted my teeth and tried to move. Something sharp dug into my leg and I screamed out.

"Hermione!"

There was that voice again, calling out to me. Who was it? Why couldn't I place that voice? I knew it, I was sure, but I couldn't tell who's it was.

I felt someone next to me, their hands pushing the hair back from my face. "Oh, Hermione." They sounded so sad, so scared. "Come on, Hermione, you have to try to move."

I opened my eyes slowly. The light stung them something terrible and my first instinct was to close them. When was the world ever this bright before? Had I merely forgotten the world was like this, or was there something else going on?

White particles danced across my eyes. I thought,_Wow, this is what it's like to die, huh? It's not so bad. Not so bad at all_.

"Hermione?"

Painstakingly I turned my head. Draco was sitting next to me, his face covered in ashes. He looked as though he had been crying. Then I realized he was. "We never made it," I told him quietly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Danica, we never made it to where ever she was. We never found her."

He looked absolutely mortified, though I didn't yet know why. "Hermione, what are you talking about? We will get to her. We will find her. You're talking as though you're dying."

_But I am dying_, I thought.

I looked around me. The hospital was in shambles. What kind of spell could have done this? Then it hit me.

"Ron! Luna! Harry! Ginny! Where are they?"

I started to sit up but Draco held me still. "They're fine, Hermione. Scratched up, but fine."

"No, Ginny was already hurt! That's why we were here. Where is she?"

"She's with Potter. She..." He looked away from me for a moment. "She still hasn't regained consciousness."

I suddenly felt so cold. There was dust everywhere, flames in the distance, and I could hear people screaming. It was horrible, blood curdling. I hadn't heard such horrible screams since...since the war. "Draco, please, get me out of here. Please."

He glanced at my face briefly before nodding and looking away. He reached down towards my leg and when I looked down there was a pretty sizable piece of wood holding my legs down. "You can't move that yourself, Draco."

He smiled at me slightly. "To move it from one place to another, no, but to lift it up long enough to get you out of here, I believe I can."

I was skeptical, but arguing with him would not help.

He reached down and grasped the wood in his hands. As he lifted it up I let out a loud scream.

He let go instantly. "There is a nail driven into your leg, Hermione. I can't move this alone and get the nail out of your leg at the same time. Not without ripping it out."

I took a deep breath. Tears were threatening to spill, but I refused to let them. I could not panic. I had to keep a level head, get out of here, and try to find my daughter. "Get Ron and Harry to help you."

"I will not ask Potter and Weasley for help."

"Draco! Please! Just do it for me! I'm begging you!"

He looked as though I was asking him to rip his own heart out. Why wouldn't he just be logical about this?

"Draco, please."

He scowled. "Oh, bloody hell!" He stood up rather shakily and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Potter! Weasley! Hermione's over here!" He kneeled back down next to me. "Happy now?"

"Very."

"Hermione!"

I turned my head as best as I could in this position to see Harry kneel down next to me. "Ginny, is she okay?"

He smiled slightly, but worry lined his face, filled his eyes to the brim. "She's fine. She's over with her mum and dad." There was a huge gash on his forehead. "Let's worry about you right now, alright?"

"Honestly, Hermione, look at all the trouble you get yourself into."

I felt myself smile. "Hello George."

George's smiling face appeared above mine. "Look at yourself. Bloody mess you are. Can't seem to stay out of trouble, now can you?"

"I suppose not."

"Excuse me, not that this reunion isn't absolutely bloody adorable, but can we please focus on getting Hermione the bloody hell out of here before she passes out from the pain or something of the sort?"

I glanced at Draco. He wasn't very good at rallying the troops, but that was just how he was.

"What do we need to do?" Ron sounded rather eager, and I knew it wasn't to help Draco, but to get me out. Well, that was a start, working with him to help me.

Draco glanced at him and Harry. "This board is pinning her legs down, but a rather large nail is stuck in her leg. The board needs to be moved and held up while I remove the nail."

No more words were needed. Harry and Ron made their way over to grab the edges of the board. George appeared where Harry had been, folding his long legs beneath him as he reached out and grabbed my hand. "Bloody mess." He smiled.

I more felt than saw Fred grab my other hand. "Just hang on to us, Hermione. If it hurts just squeeze our hands."

"Yeah, we're use to getting hurt by girls, aren't we Fred?"

"Right you are George."

I smiled, then began to laugh. My chest stung. I must have swallowed dust or burned my throat or something. "Please, don't make me laugh."

"Of course not, Hermione."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Draco cleared his throat. "Okay, on the count of three, slowly lift up the board. I will reach under and pull the nail out of Hermione's leg. When it's free I will let you two know, understood?"

The two boys merely nodded.

Draco nodded in return. "Okay then. One."

I grasped onto Fred and George's hands rather harshly.

Fred laughed. "They haven't even done anything yet and she's panicking."

"She's just worried, that's all," George said with a nod. "No worries Hermione. We're all here."

"Two."

Oh, Merlin! I couldn't do this! I couldn't! It was going to be way too painful. I was starting to panic, starting to hyperventilate.

"Three."

The board was slowly lifted. The nail in my leg began to move with it. I screamed, crushing Fred and George's hands. Merlin, it hurt! It hurt so much!

"Stop moving!" I heard Draco yell, but I wasn't looking at him. My eyes were pinched tightly shut.

I felt his hand reach down to my leg. He hit the nail and I flinched.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"This is going to hurt. Can you handle it?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, but do it fast."

"Alright, love."

I held onto Fred and George's hands as tightly as I could.

Draco's hand hit the needle again. This time all I could do was whimper. "I'm sorry, love."

I can't aptly describe what it felt like when he pulled the nail out of my leg. It was both a relief and it felt like I was being torn apart. There was this red hot pain that shot up my leg. Behind my closed eyes I saw white lights, there was the distinct feeling of blood rushing out of my body and then lightheadedness. I think I may have fractured a bone or two in the hands I was holding.

"Okay, you can move the board now!"

I could hear the board clatter to the ground but I was too busy keeping my eyes closed as hot tears rolled down my face.

Fred and George let go of my hands, and then two arms lifted me up, pressing me against their chest. It was Draco. I didn't even need to see him to know. "Shh, it's going to be fine, love. You're fine."

The group of us made our way out of the rubble, Draco carrying me, me afraid to open my eyes.

When we stopped walking I could hear Mrs. Weasley crying. "Oh, Hermione, we were so worried."

"Told you she'd be fine, Mum," Fred said. "Survivor this one. Survived a bloody hell of a lot before now. This was nothing."

"Oh, do be quiet, Fred," she snapped. "Hermione, how do you feel?"

"I feel like my leg is on fire." There was honesty for you.

"Tonks will take a look at you once we get out of here," Mr. Weasley told me. "Has become quite the healer that one."

I didn't want to, but I knew I had to open my eyes. Slowly I opened one eye and then the other.

I wanted to cry at what I saw, but forced myself not to.

Harry was now kneeling next to Ginny, who was still unconscious.

I took a breath and pulled my eyes away from the ground.

Remus stood behind Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, smiling slightly at me. "You had us all very worried."

I smiled slightly. "Good to be here. I'm sorry for worrying you all." I leaned into Draco. "Can we please leave this place?"

He nodded. "Sure thing, love. Sure thing."


	2. 2 Hermione

Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

"Broke your leg, you did."

Tonks was poking and prodding at my wounded leg. Every time her fingers mad contact with the nail wound I felt like a snake was burrowing through the muscles. It made me want to just rip my leg off and be rid of it.

Tonks's pink hair was blinding me as she turned her attention back to my leg. "Broke it rather well might I add. Three places. Not to mention that nail wound. A tough one to heal that'll be."

"But you can do it." I wasn't asking her. I was telling her.

"Of course I can. Just stating that you're rather a mess."

"She was lucky," Remus said, sitting down in the chair next to Tonks, across from me. "The building was in shambles. It was...a sight I hoped I would never see again."

"Do we know yet what happened?"

Draco was standing across the room as if he was afraid of being too close to my leg. He was looking at Remus, searching for answers.

Remus merely shook his head, rather sadly. "Unfortunately, no. It's odd really. It would take an extremely strong spell to level St. Mungo's. Been standing for centuries in the same spot. Thought nothing would bring it down. Looks like we were wrong."

Tonks hit my wound again.

I shooed her hands away. Not that I didn't appreciate her help, but becoming a healer didn't change that fact that she was one of the clumsiest people I have ever met.

"Ginny. How is she?"

There was a collective silence throughout the room. The Weasley's all looked around at each other, each one looking for the other to answer the question none dared to acknowledge.

Harry, his forehead still cut open, cleared his throat. "Still..um...still unconscious."

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath. "And the baby?"

"Hermione..."

"The baby?"

There was a long pause, then a strangled breath. "She...she lost it."

I feel red hot tears slide down my cheeks. Merlin! Ginny lost the baby! She's lying in the other room, unconscious, and I am lying here worrying about a punctured leg! How selfish could I get? I wanted to crawl under the table and die right then. Then I thought of Danica. I couldn't think about dying. I needed to think about her. She needed me. That was the most important thing right now.

"Tonks, you can fix my leg, right?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"Then do it."

Draco came over, grabbed my hand. "Sleep for a while 'Mione. When you wake up, your leg will be healed."

"But I don't want to-"

He kissed my forehead. "Just sleep, 'Mione."

He whispered something quietly, and my protests died in my throat. I felt tired, and the world slipped into darkness.

* * *

I woke up in a warm bed. I groaned, reaching up and grabbing my head.

"Awake are you?"

I blinked a couple of times to find Fred Weasley's face only a few inches away from mine. Letting out a screech I scuttled backwards on the bed.

Fred chuckled, reaching out and placing a hand on my arm. "Calm down, Hermione. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Fred Weasley! Don't you ever scare me like that again! What in the name of Merlin are you doing here anyway?"

"Waiting for you to wake up of course."

"That, Fred, is obvious. The question would be why are you waiting for me to wake up?"

"Ah, well, you didn't ask me that, now did you?"

"Fred." A warning.

"Calm down, Hermione."

"Would you please answer my question?"

"We need to talk to you, that's all."

"But you all knew I was going to wake up, so why wait for me to do so?"

"Hermione, you've been asleep for over a day. Apparently the spell that Draco put on you was stronger than we all intended."

I blinked at him, not fully comprehending. A day? A full say? How could I have slept a full day?

"Fred, what's been going on? Do we know anything new? Did we figure out what happened at the hospital? Do we know what spell caused it? And Ginny? Any change? How is Harry doing? Is he okay? I should go talk to him. And oh, Merlin, Danica! Has Draco found out anything?"

"Hermione, Hermione, calm down." He grasped my arms as if to calm me down. "Just take a deep breath. One question at a time. I'll see if I can answer them."

I sighed, breathing in deep and letting it out slowly. "Alright. Um...damn, they all seem so important. How do I choose one to ask first?"

"Just ask what comes to mind."

"The hospital. What do we know?"

"Still not much."

"Casualties?"

"Many. A hundred, maybe more. Lockhart was among them."

A part of me felt sorry that my old professor. The rest of me? It didn't matter. "Fred...that's...horrible."

"I know."

"Ginny. Any change?"

"No, none. Tonks thinks that there's a spell on her or something, but we can't figure out what it is."

"And Harry? How is he?"

"Devastated. Distraught. He's worried about her. And understandably so. And he just lost his baby. A part of him thinks that the world has come to an end. But, Harry is strong. He'll make it through this."

"Yes...yes, Harry is strong." I stopped, swallowing hard. This was the question I was regretting, but had to ask. "And...Danica. Has Draco heard anything?"

"No, Draco hasn't." Draco was leaning against the door frame as he looked at me. "Not directly at least."

Fred glanced between the two of us, then sat up. "I'll leave you too alone." He gave my shoulder a small squeeze and left me and Draco alone in the room.

Draco crossed to room and took the spot Fred abandoned. "I got another letter. From my father."

I grabbed his hand in mine. "And?"

"More taunting. Has Danica. Wants to hurt her. Knew about the hospital. That's not surprising though. The whole wizarding world knows St. Mungo's is rumble by now."

I flung myself forward, holding onto him. "What are we going to do, Draco? I need her back. I need my baby."

He stroked my hair. "I know, love. I know."


	3. 3 Draco

I want to die, but I don't. That makes absolutely no bloody sense, I know, but I don't know what to do to make everything better and for that I want to die. I look at Hermione and I feel like I am dying, my body just doesn't realize it, so why can't it just let me die?

I sit here with her trying to figure out how to get our daughter back, and I have no bleeding clue how to go about it. I sit here and watch her worry about Ginny, who remains unconscious. About Harry, worrying for his wife and mourning the loss of his child. And, of course, about Danica, our daughter, who my father has and doing only Merlin knows what to her. For all we know, she may even be dead.

In truth I doubt she's dead. My father would never pass up the opportunity to let me know that he killed my daughter, to rub it in my face. He's just that horrible. That's my father, raised to be the most cold hardened, blood thirsty person you could ever imagine. He was a waste of life and always will be. When I find him, this time I will make sure he is dead. No questions about it.

There came a knock at the door. Hermione wiped her eyes harshly. "Come in," she croaked.

Lupin stuck his head into the room. He cast Hermione a small smile before coming inside and closing the door. "We have a final casualty count," he told us.

"How many?"

He glanced at me. "One hundred and twenty three."

Hermione let out a ragged breath. "Merlin."

"Tonks went over to try to help with the healing. About two hundred injured. Considering the damage, we were lucky that there aren't more dead," he continued. "I told her that she shouldn't put so much pressure on herself in her condition, but you know her. Stubborn is the best word to describe that girl."

"Condition?"

Hermione's head shot up in his direction, her eyes widened. "Is...is Tonks...pregnant?"

I could have sworn the old werewolf blushed, but maybe I was wrong.

Hermione pulled herself up off of the bed and went over to hug our old professor. "Oh, congratulations. I can't imagine someone who deserves a family more than you." She pulled back to smile at him. "You'll be a wonderful father."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Hermione. That means a lot." He glanced at me from over her shoulder. "We contacted the Ministry about your daughter's...um, abduction. They said that they will do what they can to help you find her, but considering what is going on as of now-"

"Them being able to find her seems unlikely because they are so busy," I finished.

He nodded rather sadly. "I'm afraid so, but everyone here will try to help you find her. We want Danica returned safely just as much as you do."

He glanced quickly towards the door and then back at us. "Molly wanted me to tell you both that dinner is on the table."

Hermione nodded slightly. "We'll be right down.

* * *

Dinner was rather quiet. Hermione, Harry and myself did little more than push our food around on our plates. I felt rather rude since Molly had taken the time to make the food for us all, but I wasn't hungry. None of us really were.

That night as Hermione slept I was lying awake. The moon cast a strange light across the room. My love's head rested against my arm, her breathing soft. I was thinking of Danica, somewhere, probably cold and scared, with the demon that was my father. I imagined her crying out for her mother, I imagined how he was most likely hurting her. I could barely breathe with the thought.

Hermione stirred next to me. My eyes skipped to her. Her face was scrunched up in what seemed to be pain. Her eyes shot open, widened, then narrowed as a hand flew over her mouth.

She stumbled off of the bed and down the hall, myself trailing behind her. She ran into the bathroom, leaned over the toilet and began heaving. I sat on the flood next to her, holding her hair out of her face.

It seemed to take forever for her to empty her stomach, but since she hadn't eaten much it was dry heaving, the most painful was to throw up.

Once she was done she leaned against me, her face pale and flushed and sweaty. "I think the spell had a bad side effect."

I stroked her hair, cradled her against me. "Most likely. Were you feeling ill earlier."

"A little, and I had...the most horrible dream about Danica."

"Oh, love."

"She was screaming, Draco. She was screaming so loud. She was crying for us, and we couldn't find her. She was calling out for us." Her body began to shake as she cried. "Draco, everything is so horrible. Danica is missing, Ginny lost her baby and is in a spell induced coma, St. Mungo's is gone. Everything is falling apart. I thought the end of the wall was supposed to make everything better."

"So did I, love. We all did."

"I wish I knew what to do."

"So do I, but I promise you, Hermione, we will find her. You know that, right? We will find our daughter, we will get her back, it will get better."

"Don't promise me that, Draco. You can't promise me that. You don't know if that will really happen. You can't promise-"

"I can because she is my daughter, and I will find her no matter what it takes. I will get her back and I will make my father pay for what he did to her. I swear it. Do you understand me, Hermione? I will make sure she is alright, I will make sure you can hold her again."

She glanced up at me, her eyes so vulnerable that it made my heart ache. "I love you, Draco. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Hermione. We will get through this. I promise you we will."

I held her for the rest of the night as she cried.


	4. 4 Hermione

Harry left early in the morning to go visit Ginny in the hospital. We hadn't expected him to do anything less. She was his wife, the only person he cared about more than anything in the world, and she was pregnant with his child, and there was a good possibility that she was never going to wake up. If Harry hadn't have gone to the hospital I would have hexed him to Hogwarts and back again. According to Molly he had left as soon as the sun had come up.

Draco sat next to me, hand holding mine under the table, running his thumb in circles across the back of my hand. Tonks sat across from us, sipping her tea slowly. Looking her over I wondered how I hadn't noticed before that she was pregnant. Okay, so I had been a little preoccupied. Being trapped under part of a building with a nail through my leg was a bit distracting, but, usually, I had no problem telling women were pregnant.

The guys wouldn't have noticed the subtle change in her skin, the way she sat. She was barely showing, but her stomach was definitely rounding.

I was happy for them. Tonks and Remus would make wonderful parents. If anyone deserved a family, a life, happiness, it was Remus. He had lost some of his closest friends, part of his freedom due to his curse, why shouldn't he have some sort of happiness in his life? Was there a rule against it?

Molly held a plate of eggs in front of my face and I instantly felt sick. "Breakfast, dear?"

I calmly raised a hand. "No, thank you."

Draco gave me a concerned look. "You aren't going to eat?"

"I'm still not feeling well," I explained.

Tonks looked up from her tea and at me. She had a look in her eye I knew all too well. She wanted to talk to me, in private. We would talk, later. Right now I was more concerned with what was going on in our world. St. Mungo's had been attacked. Ginny was on death's door, my daughter was missing and we had absolutely no clue where she was or what was happening to her. For all I knew she was being hurt, tortured, or starved. All I could focus on was what was tangible, what could be touched. Whatever Tonks wanted to talk about could wait for however long it took for something, anything to happen. Any kind of an answer would be enough for me to start breathing again.

I turned my cup around on the table, running my fingers along the rim. I knew everyone was watching me, waiting for me to break or something. I wouldn't break. I wouldn't be weak right now when Danica needed me to be strong.

Draco lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "You look awfully pale, love. Are you feeling alright?"

I shrugged slightly, still looking down at my tea. "I suppose."

"You should go get some sleep, dear." When I looked up, Molly was smiling at me. She was worried about Ginny, I saw it in her eyes, but, she was trying to make me feel better, and in truth, I appreciated it. We had a common ground right now, her and I. We were both in limbo, not sure what would happen to our daughters. My only child, her youngest. We could feel each other's worry and pain. Things like that, it brought people close.

I shook my head. "But, the situation at the hospital-"

"Will still exist when you've awoken," Tonks said. She reached out, laying her hand on mine. "Get some sleep, Hermione."

I almost told them 'no', but, the look in Draco's eyes told me he wouldn't allow it, so, in the end, I went back to bed. I dreamt of smoke and blood and I heard my little girl crying my name, and when I awoke, my chest felt tight.

Harry was sitting next to me, and I guess I had been thrashing because he had a hand on my shoulder, holding me in place. "It's alright, Hermione."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Harry looked older at that point, worried more than I had ever seen him worry before. If Ginny died….no, I would think about that. "How is she?"

He eyes were haunted when he answered. "No change."

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry."

He forced a smile. "It's alright, Hermione. It's not your fault."

"I'm still sorry, Harry." I reached out and took his hand, gave it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back.

"Tonks wanted me to get her when you woke up."

"Okay."

He kissed my cheek, forced another smile. "I'll go get Tonks."

I watched him leave the room, then flopped back on the bed, sighing. Ginny had to get better. If she didn't, it would kill Harry. They were a family. Ginny, Harry and their children. Without her, I don't think he would know how to survive. Harry had lost so many people already in his life. I couldn't even fathom how much it would hurt him to lose her, too.

Tonks knocked on the doorway, then stepped inside, closing the door behind her and took a seat on the edge of the bed, the spot Harry had just abandoned. Today, her hair was surprisingly tame, a dark shade of blonde. She looked rather pretty, I had to admit. "You haven't been feeling well lately."

I nodded slightly. "I know. Probably just sick with worry."

"Hermione."

I looked at her, and she had that look my mother wore a lot. She had a look that said she didn't believe me, that she thought I was lying. I sighed. I wasn't ready to discuss this.

"Are you?"

I shrugged a bit. "I don't know."

"Could you be?"

"It is possible, yes."

"Perhaps you should find out."

"I can't."

"Why ever not?"

"Because if I am, Draco won't let me be involved with finding Danica. I can't have that."

"It means he worries about you, Hermione. That's a good thing."

"I'm not upset that he worries about me. I just don't want him to stop me from trying to find my daughter. It's all I can focus on right now."

"I understand that." She rested a hand on my arm. "But if you are pregnant, you need to know so you can be careful."

I sighed. "I know."

"So, find out, alright?"

I didn't want to, I really didn't, it was one more worry I didn't need, but I knew Tonks would leave unless I agreed.

So, I agreed.


	5. 5 Draco

Hermione was hiding something from me. Of this I was certain. What she could have been hiding, however, and why she was hiding it were the things I _didn't_ know. If I had been so inclined to I would have been able to ask that Tonks woman what she had spoken to Hermione about in private, but I wasn't too fond of the idea. If Hermione found out I went behind her back instead of talking to her face to face, I was sure she would have been extremely angry at me.

As she sat across from me at the table I was trying to read her, trying to figure out her secret. Was it something horrid? Or was it something she was sure I would hate her for? What could Hermione Granger of all people have to hide? The only secret she had actually ever kept from me- the fact that we had a child- had long since come out, so what did she fear?

But Hermione wasn't watching me. Her eyes were fixed intently on Potter. Potter who hadn't said so much as a word since his arse sat down at the table. Potter who was pushing his food around on his plate rather than actually eat it. Potter who had been the bane of my existence since our first day at Hogwarts, and yet who I couldn't help but suddenly feel rather sorry for.

I had imagined how I would feel if I were in Potter's place, if Hermione were in Ginny's. Wouldn't I seem unwilling to grant anyone human contact? Wouldn't I, too, wish to be left alone to wait and worry about her? Of course I would. Somehow Hermione had managed to become the most important thing in my life, and despite myself I couldn't find a way around it.

I contemplated many times why she was so vastly important to me. Surely I could have had practically any pureblood witch I had wanted, but yet this muggle born had been the one to capture my heart- much to the disappointment of most of the people I knew. So, the question remained: what made her so bloody special? Was it the sound of her voice? Was it her cleverness, the way her cheeks would flush when she was angry? Was it her smell or the texture of the skin on the back of her neck? Or maybe it had been a combination of it all that had led to my infatuation with the muggle born witch I had found to be a thorn in my side for years merely due to her association with Potter.

Right now Hermione was worried for her friend, and that didn't surprise me in the slightest. She had always been rather protective of Potter and Weasley, watching over their every move as if that alone would keep them safe. And with the way Potter was acting, I was pretty sure she was waiting for some great emotional breakdown. Though that thought was rather amusing, with everything else happening right now, I didn't need Hermione to become even more worried about Potter.

Then Danica's face filled my mind, so innocent and sweet. What horrors was my father inflicting upon her? Was she crying for us, like Hermione had dreamt? Was she afraid and hurt, wondering why it was taking us so long to find her? Would we be able to find her before my father destroyed her entirely? I shuddered at the thought of what my father could mold her into were he given the time. Shuddered at the thought of what he may be doing to her, what he may be making her watch. And when we did get her back, who could guarantee that what my father did wouldn't damage her?

A part of me wanted to go back to try to find out what Pansy really knew about all this. It was entirely possible that she was hiding stuff from us, biding time so that it would be too late for us to find Danica. But was she really smart enough to keep such secrets? Would my father actually have trusted her with information that could be used against him or to help us find our daughter? Surely my father was smarter than that.

One of the Weasley twins was trying to get Potter to say something, but no words would come out of his mouth. He would merely nod or shake his head when he chose to respond at all. I longed for the Potter I fought with. At least then Hermione wouldn't be worrying about him and we could both be focused entirely on finding our daughter before something horrible happened to her.

I had spent all this time not knowing about her and as soon as I was in her life she was taken away. There was no justice left in the world, I decided, if the time I could have had with my daughter was suddenly cut short by my father of all people. My father, the man I grew up both fearing and loathing. My father, the man I was sure I myself killed. The man I couldn't seem to escape no matter what I did. Lucius Malfoy: pureblood and Death Eater extraordinaire.

Hermione stood up from her face looking so very tired. She excused herself quietly, then slunk up the stairs like she was afraid to disturb someone. I stood up as well, following her steps with equally quiet ones, following her into the room we had been using.

She laid on the bed, curled up, arms around herself. Her shoulders shook with unshed tears, restraining herself from releasing that anguish inside of her. I slid onto the bed behind her, slipping my arms around her and pulling her against my chest. I wanted to wrap her up in warmth and comfort. I wanted her to know I was there for her, would always be. "Everything will be fine, love," I whispered to her, face buried in her dark hair. "I promise it will all be fine."

Her body shook harder, then I felt the warmth of her tear on my arms. She gripped my arm tightly between her hands as if she was afraid I would vanish, that I would abandon her or be taken away. Her nails dug into my skin, sure to leave angry indentations, but it didn't bother me. As long as she knew she was safe and loved, I could handle a little bit of pain.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"What are you scared of, love?"

"That we'll never find Danica, that Ginny will never wake up. I don't think I could handle losing them, Draco."

"You won't have to," I assured her. "They'll figure out how to wake up Ginny and we'll find Danica. I'm not going to give up until we have her back. Father won't win in this, alright?"

"We don't have any clues to go on, Draco. And I can almost feel him hurting her. I can _feel_ it, Draco."

The tears came down harder, and all I could do is tighten my arms around her, press a kiss on top of her head and let her body shake with tears, let her release all the anguish inside of her.

I wondered if she could tell I was crying, too. Crying for her pain, crying for mine. And crying for the daughter we both wanted back so desperately.


	6. 6 Hermione

It felt like the morning would never come. I wanted the world to just stop moving though. I couldn't handle the idea of my daughter being hidden from me, having to go through Merlin knows what with each and every passing day. I would have given up anything to keep Danica from being hurt, to have her safe with her friends and her family. But as time went on I knew that she was slipping further and further away from me.

It seemed like I could taste her fear on the back of my tongue, almost hear her crying out for my help. Feeling helpless when it came to my child was one of the most painful experiences in the world. My chest felt tight, like I couldn't breathe anymore. And though Draco tried his best to show that he too was worried about our daughter, that he wanted her home just as much as I did, I was pretty sure that I was feeling much more pain than he was.  
Mothers have a connection with their child that can't be explained. Something happens when the child is growing inside of them that connects them in some way that no one else can understand. Sometimes it seems like I actually feel everything that she feels, know instinctively when she's hurt or scared. It feels like a cold punch to my stomach, like someone is trying to hurt me while hurting her.

Over the last few days I have noted that most people are feeling rather miserable and though it was comforting to know I wasn't the only one who was suffering it also didn't make the pain lessen any. The pain was still there, raw and throbbing in the pit of my stomach like an open wound.

Though everyone has been trying to comfort each other during this time it didn't seem like any of us were taking any comfort from it at all. Even Ron and Draco had been making an effort to get along during this time so that there wouldn't be any added stress. But I knew that this was only a temporary truce because they were both suffering: Draco was worried about our daughter and Ron was worried for his sister.

Tonks had taken it upon herself to make sure I ate. She had put a plate down in front of me knowing that odds were I wouldn't eat much if anything at all, and yet she insisted on doing so. She made be tea and sat across from me, eyes fixed on my face. I knew she was worried about me for more than one reason and while I was thankful to have such good friends who cared so much about my wellbeing I wasn't in the mood to be taken care of. I wanted to stress and cry and search for my daughter. I wanted to worry about Ginny and be allowed to wallow in my own pity.

"Did you find out if you are yet?"

"No." Though I wasn't in the mood for it I lifted the tea up to my mouth, trying to avoid talking more about this. The truth was I didn't want to know if I was pregnant. I was far too worried about the child I had to be able to handle worrying about the wellbeing of this one. I knew that if I was in fact pregnant Draco would try to keep me here where it as safe rather than trying to find Danica. And though I wouldn't have blamed him for that I wasn't in the mood to sit on my arse while everyone else was out trying to find out the truth.

"You know you really need to find out, Hermione. You need to take care of yourself. And if you _are_ pregnant there are potions you need to take to keep yourself healthy."

"I've been pregnant before. I know the procedure."

"Then you also know how important it is to find out the truth."

"Yes, I know." Stabbing at the eggs on my plate with the fork I tried to avoid meeting her eyes. "But I also know that things are really crazy right now. I need to be able to be involved in all of this, to help look for my daughter. Draco would never let me do that if it turns out I'm pregnant."

"He cares about you, Hermione. That's a good thing. If he didn't worry then you would have a reason to worry."

"I know he cares about me. And that makes me more happy than you could possibly imagine. But I can't sit on the sidelines when Danica is missing. I'm going crazy already even while being involved, but if I had to sit it out? I wouldn't be able to handle that."

"Let Draco handle the search." Reaching out she placed a hand on top of mine. I looked up at her concerned face, feeling horrible for making my friend worry this much about me. "He needs to do this, love. He missed out on most of her life and now he's trying to make up for that as best as he can by searching for her. This is the only way he knows how to be a father to her."

"I know that, Tonks. And I understand that he wants to be involved in this. That he wants to help find her. And I'm so happy that he already cares about her that much. But I need to be involved, too. I'm her mother. I carried her, I gave birth to her. She's a part of me and I need to help her."

"Your health is important, too. And if you're pregnant, than so is the health of your child."

"I know that. But I can't worry about that yet. Not yet. In time. Right now I have to focus on Danica. Just give me some time, Tonks. Too much has happened too soon. I can only handle so much at once."

"I know. So much has happened to us all. I understand feeling like you can't take anymore. I do."

And I knew she did. Everyone was on edge right now, trying to find some kind of peace and finding themselves unable to. So I assured her I wound find out soon whether or not I was going to have another baby even if I didn't want to because I knew that was what she wanted to hear. She wanted to be reassured that I would take care of myself and any child that I may be carrying. At least if I swore to look into it soon at least somebody would get a little piece of mind.

But my own personal peace didn't last long because before I knew it Harry was making his way into the kitchen looking more solemn than I had seen him look in a long time. And considering his wife was unconscious and she had lost their baby I couldn't blame them. I wished I could make all of our worries go away right then, make everything alright for all of us again.

He had decided to go see Ginny that night, hoping desperately that today might be the day that she woke up. I had decided to go with him, both worried that she wouldn't wake up and hoping she would. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I went to see Ginny I could get my mind off of my little girl for a while.

But sitting in the hospital room with Harry, watching him hold Ginny's hand and seeing her pale, pale skin didn't make me feel any better. If anything it made me feel worse to know one of my closest friends was laying there in a coma and no one knew if she'd wake up and if she was ever going to wake up the question was how soon would that happen? Would Harry have to wait and wonder and suffer as long as I was with my daughter? Or would fate decide to wake her up sooner and save him from all of the suffering? And what made me even more upset was knowing that when she awoke they'd have to tell her about how she had lost the baby. I don't know how she'd be able to handle that.

While I currently had no idea where my daughter I knew without a doubt that she was alive. The pain of losing a child was something I couldn't even begin to imagine. How do you keep breathing once your child dies? They are such a part of you, so close to you that I can't even imagine what it would be like for you to suddenly have your child be gone.

If anything horrible should happen to Danica I don't know if I would be able to handle it. I think I would start to wither away and die, unable to handle the grief of my daughter suddenly being gone. I'm pretty sure it would feel like a part of myself had died along with her and how can you breathe when a part of you is dead?

Watching Harry I could only hope that Ginny as stronger than I was. That when she woke up- because I was determined now to say she was in fact going to wake up- she would grieve over the loss of her unborn child but be able to live on despite of the pain. I hoped that she would be able to go on with her life in spite of all that had happened and be able to be there for her family.

But I don't think I'd have the strength to do what I hoped she would.


End file.
